Friday, June 10, 2016

Amos 2/6-16 Workshop

The study of the text
itself: 2/6-16

1.If we read closely we can see that this text has three units. Verses
6-8 then verses9-12 and finally verses13-16. Before you even start work
verse-by-verse, look at these three units. Identify the general theme of each
unit.

VV6-8

Verse
6:

2.In v.6 we see the expression “three crimes of Israel, and now four”.
The New American Bible explains the meaning of this expression. The Lord God is
in a “bad mood”. The nations around Israel have been violating external and international relationships.
But when it comes to Israel (and Judah) The Lord God is angry against internal relationships—relationships inside
the society. The people of Israel have been violating the Covenant. The
Covenant is about the people being people
of The Lord God and The Lord God being
the Lord God of the people. Inside the Covenant are laws that are meant to avoid returning to the conditions in
Egypt and the life of slavery. People inside society should life
fraternally with justice and respect. That is the mark of a people of the Lord God.

3.The “just person” is described in Dt 7/11. But now, in verse 6, we see
that the just falls into debt. The poor also falls into debt. Look at how the
poor, is valued—as “a pair of sandals”. See the verses proposed by the NAB: Am
8:6; Sir 46:19. How do these verses help explain verse 6?

4.What is the problem with falling in debt? Let us see. Debt leads to
slavery. The inability to pay forces a person to accept becoming a slave to the
debtor. Inside Israel is still the
presence of slavery. What is wrong in this situation presented by verse 6?

Verse
7:

5.In v.7 we read about trampling the head of the weak and destitute. In
another part of Amos a similar phrase is mentioned, see Am 8/4.

·Do you see anything more
wrong (note: more) with trampling the head of the weak and poor?

·Ok, if there is something done to the destitute, poor and weak, what
does the verse say about those who do the trampling? Note then that there is a social relationship between those who
step on the weak and the “trampled”.

·Look at this: “into the dust of the earth”. Think Biblically. Remember
what “dust” could mean in the Bible. (Try if this hint can help: The human is
from earth but also…see Gen. 2/7). So what do you think could it mean to
trample someone “into the dust of the earth”?

6.Then, still in verse 7, we read about the father and the son. They
sleep with the same girl. Look at what the NAB says about it.

·If the father and the son sleep with the same girl, this act makes The
Lord God’s name dirty. Why? Think Biblically. Let us do a kind of “theology” of
name. Think of “name of The Lord God”. See, for example, Ex.3/8; Ex 3/14-15; Jer
1/19. The “name of The Lord God” tells us, therefore, about who The Lord God
is. Who is this The Lord God according to the name he has given?

VV.8-12

Verse
8

7.In v.8 we read about garments of the poor “taken in pledge”. The NAB
gives a footnote to this and also suggests that we look at Dt 24/12–13. (If you
read the verses you will notice that the NAB also proposes other verses for
Dt.24/13.) Check them out. Note that in the tradition of the people is a law
about pledges. It is part of the Covenant! The rule about garment in pledge is
violated. But there is something else, a further problem.

·Those who hold the garments lie on them and “recline beside any altar”.
What does this tell you—this “any altar”? The injustice is connected with what?

8.Next is the mention of wine. It is wine “at treasury expense”. This wine
is drank “in their temples”.

·Wine is associated with “temples”. So this is about what? (It is not
just about ordinary drinking). See if the following can help:

ØWine, in this verse, is confiscated wine. It belongs to its real
owner…the “treasury”. Wine is associated with many things…like with love: “I
drink my wine with my milk. Eat, friends; drink! Drink deeply, lovers!” (Song
of Sg 5/1). It can symbolize life (see Pr. 32/6). It is also associated with
the blessings of The Lord God (see Gn 27/28); symbolizing the Covenant between The
Lord God and people. During sacrifices, wine is offered to the Lord The Lord
God on the altar (see Ex 29/40). To have wine is therefore to have something of
great value. To lose it—and have it confiscated—is a sad thing to happen. Now
those who take the confiscated wine do not recognize the value.

9.So we see that the poor and the just and the weak are crushed miserably. The treatment towards
them are proofs of violation of the Covenant with the Lord God.

10.Now we shift gears. Let us look at verses 9-12.

Verses
9 to 11:

11.The Lord the Lord God will remind the people about the good things done
to them. There is, here, is history of the Lord God with the people. The NAB
proposes verses to supplement verse 9.

·Now, why mention the Amorites? Think Biblically. The NAB suggests some
other passages to look at. The Amorites have been occupying Palestine before the arrival of the Hebrews. At
one point when the Hebrews, under Moses, tried to enter Palestine, they were
blocked by Amorites. Well, the story tells us that the Hebrews overthrew the
Amorites (see Nm.21/21-31). Then in the Joshua story there was a battle against
the coalition of Amorites, in Joshua 10 and 11. Thanks to the battle the
Amorites were exterminated and the
Hebrews were able to start occupation of Canaan. So in this verse of Amos
we see how God prepared the land for the Hebrews.

·In verse 9, the Lord God “destroyed” them by getting rid of fruits and
roots. How do you understand this?

12.In verse 10 The Lord God says he has brought the people out of Egypt.
He had them pass through the desert to later occupy the land of the Amorites.
Notice that The Lord God is emphasizing that
it is him who liberated the people from Egypt.

13.Inverse 11 there is the presence of “prophets” and “nazirites”. Check
the footnotes of the NAB.

·What is so important with the presence of “prophets” and “nazirites”?

14.Notice that at the end of verse 11 The Lord God is even asking: “Is
this not so”. In other words the Lord God is saying “You, Israel, you know this”.
This is “divine speech”—an “oracle”—as the NAB explains in the footnote.

Verse
12

15.Verses 9-11 is a kind of “prelude” to verse 12. Notice how verses 9-11
are inter-connected. Notice: “destroy” (or prepare) in v.9, “occupy” in verse
10 and “presence of prophets and nazirites” in v.11. Something is wrong with
the way the prophets and nazirites are treated. With the treatment…what is the deep social problem?

VV 13-16

Verse
13

16.We have seen verses 6-8, verses 9-12. Now we read that the Lord The
Lord God is “fed up”. Verse 13 tells us about the mood of the Lord God and his
plan to do something. Verse 13 will prepare for verses 14-16. What exactly does
the Lord God want to do, as verse 13 indicates?

Verse
14

17.This verse is about the swift, the strong and the warrior. What happens
to each of them? They cannot flee and escape from what The Lord God will do to
them.

Verse
15:

18.This is about the archer, the swift of foot and the horseman. What
happens to each of them? There is no escape!

Verse
16

19.Here we see that even the most courageous (“stouthearted”) will be
completely empty and naked. No clothes and no weapons! Ok, maybe here the
feeling is possible. But is it successful? In the Bible nakedness is not
strictly sexual. It is associated more with poverty, limit, weakness, shame. In
Hosea we read: “Now I will lay bare her shame in full view of her lovers….”
(Hos.2/11). In Isaiah we read that “the king of Assyria lead away captives from
Egypt, and exiles from Ethiopia, young and old, naked and barefoot, with
buttocks uncovered, the shame of Egypt” (Is 20/4). Note that in nakedness there
is shame. Can you connect this with the Adam and Eve story?

20.Let us conclude. Verses
13-16 talks of fleeing, of trying to escape a penalty. Amos is indicating the
Assyrian occupation and destruction of the Northern Kingdom.

21.Israel will be penalized.
Israel will do many things to escape this penalty but to no success. Can you summarize
in a few words the core penalty that the Lord God wants to apply?

Conclusion:

22.A final work: After having
looked at the verses—all from 6 to 16—do you see a general flow? Look back: vv
6-8, then vv 9-12, then vv 13-16. See if a “sandwich” (or “chasm”) is possible:
vv6-8 and vv13-16 enclose vv9-12. In other words vv9-12 is “sandwiched”.

23.Is there any theme or topic
disturbing you as you work through Amos 2/6-16? Share it with others.